The Museum of Cursed Artifacts: A Novel

by Evan Spiliotopoulos

An epic haunted house tale that combines the classic supernatural terrors of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House with the fantastical adventure and eclectic ensemble of Night at the Museum.

Reclusive billionaire William Buren spent his life collecting the world’s most cursed artifacts and housing them in his expansive upstate New York mansion. After Buren’s death, his dismayed heirs discover the estate is bankrupt. They have only one path to transform the mansion into the world’s greatest haunted attraction, a Disneyland of horrors, the Louvre of haunted houses.

To give their project credibility, they assemble a team of renowned experts in their respective a cancelled celebrity ghost hunter, a traumatized psychic, a defrocked exorcist, a terminally ill archaeologist, and a controversial physicist. All of them have one thing in they want the pot of gold promised to them at the end of this dark and twisted rainbow.

The assignment is simple. Spend a weekend in the mansion, confirm the authenticity of the artifacts, verify any phenomena, and endorse the museum. In return, a hefty sum for each of them. But the entities contained in these artifacts possess a will, an intelligence, and an agenda of their own. Our protagonists discover they have been chosen by this place, at this time, for a diabolical purpose.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Supernatural, Adult

Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 2, 2027

Reviews

[Glen]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

The premise of a good horror book: A group of experts are spending the night in a museum of cursed objects, turns out wasted because all of the characters are forgettable. I really wanted to like this one.

[Victoria]

~ thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review~

I wanted to love this and I went into it liking it but the more I read, it was just so confusing. There were too many characters for my brain to handle 😩 it was creepy at times for sure but the confusion really got me

[Sam]

DNF at 20%. The premise of an eclectic group of random people navigating the horrors of a dead wealthy owner’s artifacts initially sounded interesting to me. I thought it was giving Knives Out vibes by the description.

Unfortunately, I found the constant shifting perspectives of characters and time frames very confusing to navigate. I expected the horror aspect of this book to shine through immediately and that was not the case. There was way too much backstory for me to follow along. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Fifi’s Bookshelf]

This book was terrifying lol. The evil written on these pages are some of the most horrific I’ve ever read in a horror novel. This was actually insane and I was not expecting this 😳

Fans of the conjuring movies A house filled with a bunch of cursed artifacts, spanning centuries and multiple continents, all with a blood soaked history, gathered into one secluded billionaire’s home. A staff who leave before evening falls each day because no amount of money would be enough to entice any to stay for the evening. I get having eccentric hobbies but spending four decades collecting the entire world’s most cursed artifacts (literally hundreds) and compiling them under one singular roof is certainly a choice!

The victims who get roped in are as follows:

Jin: an ex paranormal cleanser clairvoryant

Xavier: the creator of Soul Search, a show investigating the afterlife (also a jerk and sex offender tbh)

Max: an exorcist disgraced after a case ends in death

Stephen: professor heading the Alithea Research Program in Human Consciousness who investigates the paranormal and believes that all souls move on, and any apparitions are all memories

Anahit: cursed woman who participated in an archaeological dig where afterwards, everyone who entered the Egyptian tomb, starts to die one by one in bizarre ways

They’re gathered here solely because the heirs of Buren want to turn Wildthorn into the Louvre of haunted houses, essentially a haunted house attraction. But to make it into the huge eventual franchise they hope for it to be, they need paranormal experts to verify Wildthorn’s artifacts. Of the over 800 objects collected, 8 of the most haunted were selected. You get to hear the backstories of some of these objects and it’s horrific. I mean, beyond horrifying and it gets worse and worse. The amount of creativity of this author to come up with backstories like this. I literally could not tear my eyes off the page because the stories behind some of these objects was just insanity.

This was a fast read. There was no filler, no wasted pages, and no slow start. The first 20% serves as an intro explaining the backstories of the characters but tbh it wasn’t boring, nor did it feel unnecessary. It was easy to speed through this and this was paced really well.

I will say though that this was one of the most insane horror novels I’ve ever read and it was pretty intense, and genuinely a terrifying concept. Geez. It’s a stark reminder, through a fiction novel, that there is a lot of real evil in this world and it’s important to stay prayed up. And don’t mess with things that you shouldn’t!

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

[Sabrina]

A horror version of Night at the Museum? Um, yes please! This book started out a little shaky (and I'm still unsure why only one character's chapters were written in second person while the rest was third person), but it did really hook me and it was REALLY good. The character development was great, the mythology and religion elements were intriguing and explained well enough for those not familiar with all of them. If you like horror and supernatural elements, I'd recommend this book!

Thank you Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Roo N]

A house filled with hundreds of cursed artifacts. 5 oddballs dabbling in various levels of paranormal and religious work. 1 money hungry influencer. A portal to hell.

I would solidly rate this a 2.5 to 3 because of the following reasons:

This is such a strong concept and I loved a lot of the story. I enjoyed the characters and backgrounds created for each of them. I really enjoyed how this ended up being more of a religious horror than a strictly paranormal one. It added a bit of flare to the whole thing.

With that said, it tended to drag on at times. Even times where it felt like it should have been super engaging felt tough to get through. Word choices were repetitive seeing the same descriptive words used over and over. The switch between 3rd and 2nd person felt random and unnecessary.

Still a good read but feels like it just needs a final bit of tweaking with the actual writing to bring it up a few levels.

[Bookish_Aly_Cat]

I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book and it was definitely the perfect book to start off the spooky season. It was super eerie and atmospheric and created a great backdrop of this unhinged story to take place.

It truly felt like there was never a dull moment while reading this book. The characters were diverse and the cursed artifacts were fascinating. I appreciated all of the backstories that were provided for each artifact, as disturbing as they could be.

I also loved how the house itself felt like a character and how some of the nods to the classic,The Haunting of Hill House, were sprinkled in.

If you are looking for a unique and moody horror, add this one to your spooky tbr right away.

Read this if you like:
→ Multiple POVs
→ Fast paced
→ Creepy artifacts
→ Spooky atmosphere

Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted copy of the book.

[Carter]

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC of this novel!

"When the crypt doors creak
And the tombstones quake
Spooks come out for a swinging wake"

The Museum of Cursed objects is if Disney's Haunted Mansion and The Night at the Museum had an evil step sibling. When I read the description I was immediately intrigued. The eeriness of the book crept along my skin and bones and whispered in my ears like a leech. It was fast paced and kept me intrigued the whole time.

[Alora Khan]

This was complete insanity. For some reason, it definitely DEFINITELY gave me Thirteen Ghosts vibes on a whole other level. It’s a little hard to get into with the multiple perspectives but once you understand the characters a little more it’s a whole lot easier. The story was great and the house was crazy. I definitely recommend this.

[Ashley]

Enjoyed the journey this book took me on; a variety of characters coming at the same goal from their own perspectives, as you are immersed in the world contained in the house in question.

Had some legitimately scary ideas and moments, stuck with me well after I put it down.

[Wynter]

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 Atria 𝘢𝘯𝘥 Netgalley 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!

Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars (rounded up)

Modern horror is currently saturated with "elevated grief"—a trend that is entirely respectable if you wish to spend three hundred pages dissecting a somber metaphor for trauma, but occasionally, the palate craves a palate cleanser. Sometimes you simply want to turn off the lights, light a candle, pull up the covers, and stay up all night completely terrified and invested in the words you're consuming. Evan Spiliotopoulos’s The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is precisely the high-octane, propulsive ride the genre needs. Think Thirteen Ghosts meets House on Haunted Hill, but refreshingly stripped of the exhausting, outdated misogyny that plagued 1970s genre tropes. Instead, the narrative introduces an intelligent, diverse panel of experts brought to a glass mansion in New York to validate a dead millionaire’s collection of occult objects. It is high-stakes supernatural appraisal, and the premise is entirely captivating from page one.

Spiliotopoulos’s extensive background in cinema shines brilliantly in this debut, offering a narrative that moves with the breathless momentum of a summer blockbuster. Utilizing a shifting third-person omniscient perspective, the plot drives forward without a single moment of narrative drag. The ensemble cast—particularly Jin and Max—are fascinatingly written, even if the prose opts for a calculated emotional distance. Much like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or The Mummy, the characters function beautifully as a slick unit where everyone has a specific, structural purpose. You find yourself thoroughly engaged by the team dynamic without necessarily needing to form intense, messy attachments to guarantee your own emotional survival. It is intelligent, incredibly fun, and unpretentious entertainment.

If there is a lingering critique to be made, it rests on a craving for more historical depth regarding the collection itself. With a title so evocative, there was a prime opportunity to lean heavily into a gritty, global-acquisition aesthetic—expanding upon the cultural origins, dark histories, and ethnographic significance of these cursed trinkets rather than glazing over them. A prequel detailing the millionaire's chaotic global search for these artifacts is something that would warrant an immediate pre-order. Additionally, our resident mega-influencer, Avery Sutton, arrives a bit too charming and logical out of the gate. Playing up a shallower, more cutthroat, and financially motivated archetype initially would have given her ultimate character growth an even more rewarding, satisfying edge.

Ultimately, this book is an absolute win and a damned good time. It is an intelligent, action-horror triumph that is bound to secure a passionate cult following. It completely exceeded my expectations, and I am officially seated for whatever this author does next.

[Nicole Austin]

Thank you NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“The Museum of Cursed Artifacts” by Evan Spiliotopoulos is basically Night at the Museum if the museum was actually trying to kill you. And honestly, I was here for it. I absolutely loved the unique plot of this book.

William Buren spent decades collecting some of the most cursed and horrifying artifacts from around the world and keeping them all in his giant mansion, Wildthorn. After his death, his heirs realize they're basically broke, so naturally their brilliant business idea is: let’s turn Dad’s nightmare mansion into the world's greatest haunted attraction.

But first they need some experts to verify that all this supernatural stuff is actually legit.

Enter our wonderfully dysfunctional group: a former paranormal cleanser with clairvoyant abilities, a disgraced exorcist, a controversial scientist, a paranormal TV personality who is very easy to dislike, and an archaeologist who comes with a particularly nasty curse of her own.

They’re supposed to spend the weekend investigating eight of the mansion's most haunted objects.

What could go wrong? Absolutely everything.

The artifacts were easily my favorite part. Some of the backstories are absolutely horrifying, and the author gets very creative with just how terrible these objects can be. Every time I thought, “Okay, that has to be the worst one,” the book would introduce another artifact and somehow make things even more disturbing.

And then there’s the house itself. I loved the idea that Wildthorn feels like more than just a setting; it has its own presence and agenda. I could practically picture this thing as a horror movie while reading it.

The religious and mythology elements were also really interesting. This isn't just straightforward “ghosts are spooky” horror. There’s a much bigger supernatural/religious horror element happening, and I thought that made the story even creepier.

The pacing was another big win for me. Once the setup was out of the way, this book moved fast. There was very little sitting around twiddling thumbs, and I flew through it because I constantly needed to know what horrifying thing was going to happen next.

That said, I did have a few issues. The story gets very ambitious in the second half, and sometimes it felt like it was introducing new ideas faster than it could actually explain the ones it had already introduced. A few character connections and plot threads seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Overall, “The Museum of Cursed Artifacts” is creepy, fast-paced, wildly imaginative, and absolutely packed with cursed objects that I would like to stay approximately 1,000 miles away from.

If you like haunted houses, supernatural horror, cursed objects, this one is definitely worth checking out.

[Jensen McCorkel]

There’s something inherently creepy about a mansion filled with cursed artifacts, especially when each object has its own disturbing history.

The creepiest thing about The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is the constant feeling that the characters are never truly safe. The mansion is filled with objects that should be fascinating historical curiosities, but instead feel like traps waiting to be opened. As the histories behind the artifacts begin to emerge, the supernatural becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss, leading to some genuinely eerie and disturbing moments.

The horror was definitely my favorite part of the book. There’s an unsettling sense that something sinister is always lurking just beneath the surface, and the cursed artifacts each bring their own particular brand of dread. The isolated setting only adds to the tension, creating the feeling that there’s nowhere safe to escape. Some of the scenes are genuinely creepy, and I liked the constant anticipation of wondering what would happen next.

I also liked the unusual combination of characters the story brings together a ghost hunter, psychic, exorcist, archaeologist, and physicist. Each approaches the supernatural from a completely different perspective, which makes for an interesting clash of ideas. At times, though, the story becomes a little complicated, with so many characters, backstories, supernatural elements, and twists competing for attention. Some of the developments felt more complicated than they needed to be, which occasionally took away from the tension.

Still, the story kept me invested. The creepy artifacts, disturbing encounters, and increasingly sinister atmosphere made this an entertaining supernatural horror read. It doesn’t always hit the mark, but when it leans into the darkness, it can be genuinely unsettling.

Overall, The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is an entertaining supernatural horror novel with a creepy premise, genuinely disturbing moments, and an intriguing cast of characters. The combination of a ghost hunter, psychic, exorcist, archaeologist, and physicist gives the story an interesting dynamic, even if the plot occasionally becomes more complicated than necessary. For me, the strongest parts were the cursed artifacts and the moments when the horror took center stage.

[Emily Myers]

I was so looking forward to reading this. I really enjoy paranormal and especially haunted house stories. The title alone had me prepared for all kinds of shenanigans - a whole museum of cursed artifacts? Yes please! I even enjoyed the multiple POVs from our characters. I thought that the varying chapter lengths, ways of speaking (second person came out of nowhere, but made sense for the priest who was a bit emotionally detached) and types of people all added to the storyline.

The Museum of Cursed Artifacts started out so strong. The house is there, the experts are assembled, and the artifacts are waiting. Encapsulating all of this is the house itself. It's one of our POVs (albeit used sparingly) so we get a feel of its own motivations. I like that the activities had a clear timeline as well. The variety of artifacts was a delight - though they were very heavily western-leaning.

However, about halfway through, the book suffered from massive scope creep. There were several clues, or moments that were dropped that had no resolution. Hopefully not too spoilery - an artifact was introduced (eight were focused on for the experts to validate) with backstory with one of our protagonists. Later, that same artifact chased down and subsumed a different protagonist. Why? Why the change in fixation? Why introduce a thread with no corresponding knot at the end? This theme of "here is an idea or a thing" and "let's end it with a different thing entirely" kept playing out in the latter 50% which was jarring for me to keep track of. Characters suddenly had knowledge that came out of nowhere. Deep ties were said to have existed out of nowhere.

I wish there had been more depth to some of the connections made, or explanations given. The ideas were there! But they escalated so quickly, and the seeds to the fruition weren't laid as neatly as I would have liked to get me to the payoff.

However, the vibes, artifacts, and each of the characters were very interesting to me. For a first novel, this is very well done. I will be adding the author to my "to watch" list to see where their next idea takes them!

Big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Shari]

Start with one eccentric billionaire, one very meticulously architected mansion, and hundreds of cursed artifacts. This is the recipe for the wildest spooky book I’ve read this year by far. When the billionaire dies a gruesome death after having spent his fortune on cursed artifacts from around the globe, his family waits greedily at his estate’s will and testament reading. Instead of dividing what’s left of his scant holdings and assets to his family, Avery Sutton pitches a “Museum of Cursed Artifacts” that promises to rake in even more earnings than the paltry sum that was left after Buren died.

But first, the artifacts must be verified for their authenticity, to ensure that they indeed are haunted. This is where the team comes in. Avery builds a team of experts consisting of one priest, one troubled girl with clairvoyance, one grifter TV personality, and two scientists.

Shifting through multiple perspectives every chapter, the group will reside at William Buren’s mansion in order to validate the authenticity of the cursed items. Meanwhile, the staff always leaves hurriedly before sundown nightly. Because this is when the fun begins. The team has to learn to work together, confront the ghosts and trauma of their own pasts, and be braver than they ever thought, if they want to survive the weekend at this haunted mansion.

The Museum of Cursed Artifacts is a roller coaster thrill ride that kept me reading late into the night, and thus spooking myself when I got up to go to the bathroom. I absolutely loved it, and kept imagining who I would cast as the different characters for the movie that I hope one day gets made from this book! The writing and story is fast-paced, and reminded me of some of my favorite horror authors such as Stephen King, Paul Tremblay, and Shirley Jackson. Thank you to Evan Spiliotopoulos and Atria Books for this fantastic advanced reader’s copy.

[Jessica King]

👻 BOOK REVIEW: The Museum of Cursed Artifacts by Evan Spiliotopoulos 🏛️✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

If you took the haunted, psychological dread of Shirley Jackson’s "The Haunting of Hill House" and smashed it together with the chaotic energy and wild ensemble cast of "Night at the Museum," you’d get this absolute masterpiece of a horror debut. 🤯

Here’s the setup: A reclusive billionaire spends his life and fortune collecting the world's most terrifyingly cursed items. When he dies bankrupt, his desperate heirs decide there’s only one way to make a profit—turn his sprawling upstate New York mansion into the ultimate haunted attraction. The Louvre of horror houses.

But first, they need authenticity. Enter an incredibly messy, dysfunctional dream team of experts hired to spend the weekend and verify the phenomena:
🚫 A canceled celebrity ghost hunter
🔮 A traumatized psychic
✝️ A defrocked exorcist
🩺 A terminally ill archaeologist
⚛️ A highly controversial physicist
They’re all trapped in a grand mansion for a massive payday, but the entities locked inside these exhibits have their own terrifying agenda.

Thoughts:
Oh my goodness, I ate this book up! The pacing is lightning-fast, and the entire story feels intensely cinematic (which makes sense, given the author’s blockbuster screenwriting background!). Spiliotopoulos does an amazing job building a suffocating atmosphere where you feel like the characters are never truly safe.

Each artifact brings its own unique brand of dread, and the tension just keeps ratcheting up until all hell literally breaks loose. I loved the clashing dynamics of the experts—science vs. faith, ambition vs. grief. It’s funny, deeply unsettling, and features some real skin-crawling scares that will stay with you long after you close the cover.

Do not sleep on this one, horror fam! It is easily going to be one of the most memorable thrillers of the year. 🕸️

Thank you to Atria Books for the early review copy! 🖤

[Parmy Violet]

Summary: A wealthy man with a correction of cursed items dies, some paranormally inclined people are offered money to confirm that his collection is legitimate, haunted hijinks ensue.

I did not like this book. I wanted to, I really did, but it just wasn't for me.

My first issue is the writing. The author has previously worked in film, and it really shows in the way that he writes. Absolutely everything is told to the reader, there is zero shown, and it's all written very factually. There's a lot of "Jin walked up the stairs. She looked left. She saw Xavier walking down the hallway. She followed him." That's not an exact quote from the book, but it's exactly what the writing style is like, just statement after statement.

My second issue is the fact that Father Max's chapters are written in second person, while all the others are in third person. Apart from "choose your own adventure" books I have never read anything written in second person, so that was a strange choice, but the fact that everyone else's chapters are in third person makes the choice even more confusing.

My third issue is Jin. Why does she grunt so much? And how can the other people, who have only met her today, tell her grunts apart? What's a doubtful grunt, and how does it differ from a confused grunt?

My final issue is that the book was far too religious for me. Its blurb describes it as a haunted house book, which is what I was expecting. I wish it had mentioned how religious it was as I wouldn't have read it.

The first half of the story was somewhat interesting, in a silly early 2000's horror movie kind of way, but the bad writing and religious focus (especially in the second half) just kept me from enjoying it.

[John-Phillip O'Hagan]

Thank you first to NetGalley for allowing me the chance of an advance read in exchange for my unbiased review.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Knew I was going to enjoy this novel from page one. How could you not when five odd characters are paid to spend three days inside an actually haunted mansion to review supposedly the worst or the worst haunted artifacts. I enjoyed the detailed backstory the author started with instead of just throwing us straight into the horror. It helped build the anticipation of what was to come. Each chapter is a different POV (even the mansion gets one too!) It was well written and decently paced.

That being said, I do have some slight draw backs.
- The horror/creepy themes/artifacts are amazing leaving me wanting more mayhem and carnage, which unfortunately they don't fully deliver in the end in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, yes there is death in the book but some just don't shine as bright as others. I didn't set out to read all out gore but I wanted something a little more disturbing when it came to a characters end.
- The last 10% of the book (towards and during the final climax) was the toughest part as it didn't flow with the rest of the novel.
- Some characters/ideas were introduced but then fell to the wayside unfortunately or were just completely forgotten by the end.

In the end it's an enjoyable read and would be interested to see if a sequel or prequel are written given the amount of artifacts/ideas the author provided.

Overall, if you enjoy the horror/thriller genre this book is for you and would recommend it to anyone who asks.

[Crystal Gritzmacher]

The Museum of Cursed Artifacts by Evan Spiliotopoulos sounded like exactly the kind of horror I love, and I went into this one incredibly excited. A mansion filled with cursed artifacts, an eclectic cast of characters, and supernatural horrors had me completely sold. While the story itself was compelling, the overall reading experience left me wanting more.

I enjoyed the initial character development and backstories, but once the group arrived at the mansion, I found myself wishing for a stronger sense of atmosphere and immersion. Despite the fascinating premise, I never quite felt transported into the setting or fully connected to the events unfolding around the characters. The shifting memories and timelines also made portions of the story feel disjointed, and some of the narrative elements left me confused rather than adding to my understanding of the story.

I also found this leaned more heavily into religious horror than the supernatural horror I had anticipated. While I appreciated the underlying story, the writing didn't always bring its various elements together as cohesively as I had hoped. I found myself getting distracted more easily than usual, making it difficult to maintain the investment I wanted to have in the characters and their journey.

Ultimately, this was a case of loving the premise more than the reading experience. There was an intriguing story here, but the execution didn't quite deliver the atmosphere, clarity, or engagement I was looking for. I was genuinely excited to learn this would be a series, but after this first installment, I'm uncertain whether I'll continue.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC.

[Kristen]

I ate this book up from the start and could not put it down. It gave me goosebumps while reading it, and I just had to know what was going to happen.

This book gave me serious and Annabelle Comes Home vibes with the Ed and Lorraine Warren occult museum and I loved it! It also reminded me of the Stephen King Rose Red movie.

A reclusive billionaire William Buren spends years collecting the world’s most cursed artifacts and places them in his house. After his death, his heirs quickly realize the estate is bankrupt after he spent all of his money trying to find the artifacts.

They decide to transform the mansion into the world’s greatest haunted attraction, a museum of cursed artifacts. Before doing so, they assemble a team of renowned experts in their respective fields to determine the authenticity of the artifacts and whether or not they are cursed.

The rules are simple. Spend a weekend in the mansion, confirm the authenticity of the artifacts, verify any phenomena, and endorse the museum. Once they do so, they will receive a hefty sum of money each.

The only issue…the entities contained in these artifacts have an agenda of their own.

The author gives insight on why everyone is chosen from the beginning and I think it really helps set the stage for this novel. I also enjoyed the different POVs and could imagine it as a horror movie in my head while reading.

Release Date: March 2nd, 2027

Thank you as always to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an ARC for an honest review!

[kensi]

3.5/5 Stars

The premise for this book grabbed me immediately. Five strangers getting paid half a million dollars to spend three days in a mansion filled with haunted objects trying to determine if they're authentic or not had me instantly intrigued. The characters were unique and built up well with a few exceptions (if I have to read about Jin grunting instead of saying anything meaningful it'll be too soon) and they felt real and unique in a short matter of time. I actually enjoyed the multiple POVs, though throwing in the random 2nd Person POV was definitely a choice, and one that didn't really fit in with the rest. The idea of the house itself having a POV was good in theory, but by the end of the book it seemed more hokey than anything which is a shame since the first two chapters from the house's POV were interesting.

The book started to lose me around 75% in. I was all in for the creepy stories and the gruesome deaths that started happening once all hell broke loose, but things quickly became convoluted and not in a fun way. Instead of being scary, things got cheesy and my enjoyment of the book fell to the wayside the closer to the end I got. Sometimes it's better not to have explanations for every little thing, and I think this book would have benefited from some more mysterious elements lingering throughout.

That being said, I still enjoyed the majority of this book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, scary time!

My thanks to Atria and Netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Erica G]

Thank you once again Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion on this book.

What immediately drew me in was the cover. I thought it was very well made and I was intrigued. I also liked the description of the book and when I started it, found I had a hard time putting it down. I normally get pretty confused with a lot of switching perspectives and with this book I did not seem to have that problem. I was sucked in immediately by the prologue and felt the pace was pretty good to begin with. The writing is very well done in my opinion. I was a little nervous when it started out that it would be too new age and I would lose interest but it turns out I lost interest for completely different reasons.
I want to go on record and say that I think this is a really good book and I feel like it's going to do very well in its niche but for me, I did lose interest at the time where the book is supposed to be at a climax. I found myself realizing that I was not invested in what happened to these people at all and was looking down at how many pages I had left with dread. Ugh I hate to say that honestly because I know this was someone's very hard work and like I said, I do think this book has a ton of redeemable qualities. The characters were very well rounded, did realistic things, the inner monologues were easy to follow which I like. The interpersonal dynamics were smooth and relatable.
Insanely creative and well written. (just not for me).

[AMY DURAN]

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review The Museum of Cursed Artifacts by Evan Spiliotopoulos.

After the death of the "eccentric" billionaire William Buren, a collector of spooky, haunted items, a team of experts are selected by the estate to inventory and assess the assets left behind. A carefully selected team is chosen to spend the weekend at the Buren estate and they have 48 hours two complete their assignment in order to collect their fee. A house full of cursed or possessed artifacts and a team selected based on who needed the cash the most, what could possibly go wrong?

What a ride, this book is such a fun, gory read from start to finish. If you loved movies like; The Cabin in the Woods, Evil Dead franchise and Tucker and Dales v.s. Evil, you will enjoy this book.

What worked for me:
The characters and their different point of views.
The creativity describing the different entities.
Writing style and fast moving plot.

What didn't work:
Character development was a little slow, I adored Jin immediately but some of the other characters it took several chapters for me to connect with them,
The story was a little formulaic and predictable. I still enjoyed the heck out of the book but it was easy to predict what would happen with each little twist. That being said, I really want a team up of Max and Jin if this turns into a series please and thank you!

5 out of 5 for me, not perfect but a fun read.

[Tim]

Thank you Netgalley/Atria for the ARC. Review left voluntarily.

Creep factor - On point, a book like this I would place the expected at a queasy feeling here and there and it delivered a couple more to be on the safe side.

Artifacts - I was a doofus and tried to Google most of the artifacts that get mentioned, obviously the doll in the book is Robert the Doll, but the rest felt believable in the sense that there is a "supernatural" counterpart in the real world.

Characters - I actually liked the 6 that are presented, although one in particular felt as if she was a caricature of an influencer turned CEO (the point I know, but still lead to the character falling flat for me), I would have liked if I was steered more towards caring about a few of the others to subvert expectations a bit.

Religious thoughts - I did enjoy the thoughts it gave of various patterns that pop up through religions through different periods of history.

Humor - Not so much of a con, some jokes were certainly a choice, the rest of the humor just ended up not being my flavor of humor.

Book Description - So I understand the choice of having "Night at the Museum" being used for the descriptor, since well, its kind of a museum, but I think it does a disservice since I got heavier "13 Ghost" vibes out of it.

[Joyce]

320 pages

4 stars

This is a wonderfully creepy little horror story.

William Buren collected what he believed were “cursed” artifacts. He spent his entire billion dollar fortune on them. Imagine the disappointment of his many heirs when they discovered the estate was penniless. The heirs were pitched an offer they could hardly refuse.
A collection of “experts" in their respective fields were gathered: a ghost hunter, a psychic, a priest, an archeologist and a physicist. All they had to do was spend a weekend in the house and verify the authenticity of the various artifacts. They would each receive $500,000,for their time.

So begins a wild adventure of malevolent artifacts stalking our heroes and their valiant efforts to avoid a certain and horrible death.

The book has an interesting collection of evil statuary, paintings, coins and so on to rile the heroes. Some of the histories about the artifacts are clever, and inventively unique. I enjoyed their stories.

Although described as a horror novel, the book is pretty tame. It is a quick and enjoyable read. I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys semi-mild horror.

I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books/Atria - Emily Bestler for forwarding a copy of this very good book to me. The opinions contained in this review are solely my own.

[m k]

4/5

this was like if episode 13 by craig dilouie was combined with night at the museum.

the book follows 5 paranormal experts with different backgrounds (a priest, a TV show ghost hunter, a psychic, and an archaeologist) who get invited to a home full of alleged haunted artifacts with the goal of proving they are real. the story is told through the POVs of these characters as well as a few more ...

i really really enjoyed this. i love multiple POVs and the author did a really good job differentiating the styles of writing between the chapters. the build up in the first half was stellar and while it did not immediately pay off, the ending was well written. my only real critique is that once the action begins, it drags along slightly and takes a while to pick up into something that feels like it matters. the characters are all 3 dimensional and you get to learn a lot about them, even the characters who may not last the entire book. which is also something i liked! there were real stakes because (sorry, mild spoiler) not everyone makes it out of the house. i recommend this for anyone who liked Episode 13 by Craig DiLouie and anyone who enjoys haunted artifacts!

thank u atria books for providing this ARC thru NetGalley!

[Vanessa]

THE MUSEUM OF CURSED ARTIFACTS is an entertaining horror, and I really enjoyed reading. While I am not normally a fan of books that rotate through the roster of character POVs, this one made it work pretty well. Overall, the diffferent characters' voices were distinct, so you didn't get confused about who was speaking. That being said, I think there are a few chapters from the perspective of a specific "character" that I really didn't need. They were well written, and I can see why they were included, but it kind of shifted me out of the story more than I would have liked. And while the ending was good, After all the buildup of the beginning, it felt a little rushed and maybe a little too easy.

I enjoyed the fact that the book reminded me of several things, like the movie THIRTEEN GHOSTS, and the real haunted object museum in Las Vegas. The nods to paranormal objects and stories I have heard about before were well placed and I think that if you know what is being mentioned, it only enhances the story, but it doesn't detract if you aren't aware of those stories.

Overall, I liked the story and characters, and I liked the ending chapters. Definitely would recommend to fans of horror novels.

[Megan.Books]

I devoured The Museum of Cursed Artifacts in a few days and looked forward to picking it up every time I sat down to read. I loved the ensemble cast of characters, and the multiple POVs and short chapters kept the pace quick. The writing was great and pulled me in to the story. As someone who doesn't 'see' what they read, I found it easy to imagine the scenes and you can tell Evan writes for the screen. I was intrigued by the change in writing in each POV and would love to read a bit more about the underlying reasons for that. Will be looking out for a deep dive/book club on this one!

The haunted house/cursed museum objects concept was fun and reminded me of the horror movies I enjoy. Perfect for fans of stories about the Warrens! The supernatural aspect was great with lots of tension and I was creeped out reading late at night at one point (looking at you black pope!). I definitely would have liked more background on the artifacts themselves, even if it meant a slightly longer book.

Overall this was exactly what I want from a horror read, escapism and thrills without heavier themes weighing it down. I'm already looking forward to book 2! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Amy A.]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars

This was a strong 4-star read for me! Haunted artifacts, demons, gore, religious horror, found family, and characters discovering strength through trauma? Yes, please. I loved the premise of this unlikely group being trapped together in an isolated mansion filled with some of the world’s most infamous cursed objects. The inclusion of real-world haunted artifacts made the story feel even creepier. I also appreciated that this was a shorter, fast-paced read. It never overstayed its welcome, and the tighter length really allowed the plot to shine.

The characters were what really kept me invested. Stephen was my favorite. He was intelligent, inquisitive, resourceful, and grounded by his love for his family. I also connected with Anahit’s struggles, and I think many readers will. Avery turned out to be far more layered than I expected, Xavier was exactly the kind of fearless protector every group needs, Jin’s abilities remained a bit mysterious but intriguing, and Max’s struggles with faith made him especially relatable. Add in plenty of demons, gore, and creepy old artifacts, and this was absolutely my kind of horror read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC. These are my own honest opinions, shared voluntarily.

[sab ☻]

thank you atria books and netgalley for this arc!

i was drawn to this book because it was compared to the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson. it was not at all similar to the show, but i haven’t read the book, so i can’t fully speak on that comparison. if i had to compare this book to something from pop culture, i would say it’s like if stranger things was WAY more horror and less sci-fi, and if the upside down was actually hell. the demogorgons are the haunted entities etc etc. oh and (minor spoiler alert—but it’s a horror book, so is it really a spoiler?) if the writers weren’t so afraid to kill main characters off. like if steve and max and hopper and will died extremely gory deaths. then it would be just like this book!

anyways. if i had known that this was going to spiral into a whole pits-of-hell thing, i probably wouldn’t have read it. maybe it was an allegory for something bigger, but i wasn’t able to see it (im taking english 101 right now—my brain needs to focus on that!). i will say that the imagery was really amazing, and, once i wasn’t so confused by it, the POV switch every chapter was a great way to get the full story. if horror and hell and allegories and haunted artifacts are your thing, you’ll probably enjoy this book!